A bag of freshly roasted coffee is a thoughtful, aromatic, and genuinely enjoyable gift. But if you’re not a coffee expert yourself, walking into a cafe or browsing an online store can feel a little overwhelming. What do all those names and tasting notes mean? How do you choose a coffee that your friend, colleague, or loved one will actually enjoy? This guide will walk you through a few simple steps to help you confidently choose the perfect coffee gift.

Figure 1. Whole coffee beans.

1. Golden Rule of Gifting: Always Choose Whole Beans

If you remember only one thing from this guide: always, always buy whole coffee beans instead of pre-ground coffee. Here’s why.

Maximum Freshness & Flavour

Coffee beans are at their best just a couple days after roasting. Once you grind them, they begin to lose their flavour and aroma much more quickly. To put it in perspective, a bag of whole beans can retain its optimal flavours for up to two months, while ground coffee starts to taste stale in as little as two weeks. Gifting whole beans ensures your recipient gets to enjoy the coffee at its optimal flavours.

Figure 2. From “Coffee Grinding Guide” by James Adam, 2017, Coffee Guides. https://alternativebrewing.com.au/blogs/coffee-guides/coffee-grinding-guide

Avoiding the Wrong Grind Size

Did you know that different brewing methods require different grind sizes? Coffee ground for a pour-over, for example, will be too coarse to be used in an espresso machine. Since you might not know what brewer your recipient uses, buying whole beans eliminates the guesswork and ensures they can grind it for their specific equipment. And also, once coffee is ground, you can't re-grind it.

Figure 3. Grinding coffee services.

But what if they don't have a grinder?

Many coffee drinkers tend to have their own grinders at home. But if they don't, they can simply bring the bag of Tiong Hoe beans to any of our outlets, and we’ll grind it for them on the spot, free of charge.

Figure 4. Berries, grapes, apples, nuts, what do they like?

2. How to Choose the Right Flavour Profile

Don't get taunted by the huge variety, just follow these simple steps.

Figure 5. Espresso or filter coffee.

Filter or Espresso?

The first clue is to figure out how your recipient brews their coffee. You don’t need to know the exact machine, just whether they typically brew filter coffee or espresso-based beverages.

• Filter Coffee: This includes methods like V60 pour-overs, French press, AeroPress, and drip coffee machines. The resulting coffee is generally lighter-bodied with more delicate, nuanced flavours. 
• Espresso-based Coffee: This typically requires an espresso machine. The coffee is concentrated, rich, and intense, and it's also the base for drinks like lattes and cappuccinos.
  

At Tiong Hoe Specialty Coffee, our coffee bags are clearly labelled for filter or espresso (read this guide to find out more), making it easy to grab the right one. You may also use our filter function to sort out the types of coffee that we have.

Figure 6. Filtering our coffee selections

What Flavours Do They Like?

Does your recipient generally prefer things that are floral and fruity or things that are strong and nutty?

• For those who love Fruity & Floral Flavours: Look for coffees that have bright, floral, tea-like, and berry notes.
• For those who prefer Nutty & Chocolaty Flavours: Look for coffees that have nutty and chocolate-y notes. Coffees from Brazil or our house blends are a great choice. These coffees are comforting, with notes of chocolate, nuts, and caramel.

When In Doubt, Go with a Crowd-Favourite

If you have absolutely no idea what they like, your best bet is to choose one of our best-sellers.

• For someone who enjoys a classic, comforting cup of local kopi, try our Smoky Quartz blend.
• For someone who likes a sweeter cup of coffee, our house espresso blend, Gachala, is highly versatile.

3. Where and How to Buy Your Gift

Shopping Online

For the freshest possible gift, our online store is your best bet. We roast-on-demand, which means your coffee is roasted only after you place your order, ensuring it arrives with maximum freshness and flavour. Plus, you can sign up for our rewards program to earn points on your purchases! Our fulfillment schedule and rewards system can be found in detail here. 

Shopping In-Store

If you want some friendly, face-to-face advice, please visit us at one of our outlets. Our baristas are always happy to help you pick the perfect beans. We restock our shelves every Wednesday and Saturday to ensure our coffee is always fresh. We also do not keep beans that are more than 14 days post-roast on our retail shelves. And as mentioned, if you buy whole beans, we can grind them for you on the spot.

If You Need Them Urgently

We have Order and Pickup options at these outlets, Simply select your preferred pickup location below to browse the menu and place your order. It's quick, easy, and ready when you are. Coffee beans stocks and options availability are on a while-stocks-last basis.

• Raffles Place (One Raffles Place)
• Robinson Road (SBF Center)
• one-north (Galaxis)
• Tanjong Pagar (Guoco Tower)

Key Takeaways (TL;DR)

• Always Buy Whole Beans: To ensure maximum freshness and flavour, always opt for whole coffee beans over pre-ground ones. This also avoids issues with incorrect grind sizes for different brewing methods. If the recipient doesn't own a grinder, they can get their Tiong Hoe Specialty Coffee beans ground for free at any of our outlets.
• Determine Their Brewing Style: Find out if they brew filter coffee (like V60, French Press, Aeropress etc) or use an espresso machine. Filter coffee is lighter-bodied, while espresso is more concentrated and intense.
• Consider Their Flavour Preferences: Choose a flavour profile based on what they typically enjoy.
  • For those who like fruity and floral tastes, look for coffees with bright, tea-like, and berry notes.
  • For those who prefer nutty and chocolaty flavours, options from Brazil or our house blends with notes of chocolate, nuts, and caramel are excellent choices.
• If you're unsure of their preferences, our house blends like Smoky Quartz or Gachala are versatile, crowd-pleasing options.
• Purchase Online: For the freshest coffee, order from our online store as we roast on demand.
• Purchase In-Store: Visit our outlets for personalized advice from our baristas. Our shelves are restocked typically on every Wednesday and Saturday.